Cost of Living Comparison Between Christchurch and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Christchurch and Dunedin

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Christchurch is 1% more expensive than Dunedin without rent, and 22% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Christchurch is 1.9% more expensive than Dunedin without rent, and 6.7% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Christchurch
Dunedin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.56 NZ$27.32
$12.25 NZ$20.2
35.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.4 NZ$118
$73.7 NZ$122
-3.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.41 NZ$15.53
$10.95 NZ$18.07
-14.06%
Cappuccino
$3.34 NZ$5.52
$3.46 NZ$5.7
-3.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.3 NZ$3.8
$2.2 NZ$3.63
4.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 NZ$3.34
$2.05 NZ$3.38
-0.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.31 NZ$12.06
$7.2 NZ$11.87
1.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.2 NZ$11.87
$6.08 NZ$10.03
18.42%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Christchurch
Dunedin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.91 NZ$3.16
$2.08 NZ$3.44
-8.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.94 NZ$3.2
$1.96 NZ$3.22
-1.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.73 NZ$2.85
$1.81 NZ$2.99
-4.42%
Eggs
$6.26 NZ$10.33
$5.67 NZ$9.35
10.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.18 NZ$13.48
$8.36 NZ$13.8
-2.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.65 NZ$15.91
$10.62 NZ$17.52
-9.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.83 NZ$21.17
$13.05 NZ$21.53
-1.69%
Apples (1kg)
$3.06 NZ$5.04
$2.86 NZ$4.72
6.99%
Banana (1kg)
$2.71 NZ$4.46
$2.24 NZ$3.69
20.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.95 NZ$4.87
$3.3 NZ$5.45
-10.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.52 NZ$9.11
$4.54 NZ$7.49
21.59%
Potato (1kg)
$2.15 NZ$3.54
$1.91 NZ$3.15
12.57%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 NZ$3.64
$2.04 NZ$3.37
8.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.98 NZ$4.91
$2.48 NZ$4.09
20.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 NZ$2.4
$1.07 NZ$1.76
35.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.66 NZ$39.02
$24.01 NZ$39.6
-1.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.93 NZ$14.72
$8.7 NZ$14.34
2.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.82 NZ$6.29
$2.59 NZ$4.27
47.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.85 NZ$8
$3.63 NZ$5.99
33.61%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Christchurch
Dunedin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 NZ$2.05
$1.25 NZ$2.05
-0.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.94 NZ$69.2
$72.8 NZ$120
-42.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.63 NZ$4.34
$6.16 NZ$10.15
-57.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.64 NZ$2.7
$1.1 NZ$1.81
49.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.26 NZ$49.91
$30.44 NZ$50.2
-0.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.71 NZ$2.81
$1.72 NZ$2.84
-0.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27K NZ$44.5K
$19.7K NZ$32.5K
36.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20K NZ$33K
$25.6K NZ$42.3K
-22.00%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Christchurch
Dunedin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$116 NZ$191
$99.8 NZ$165
15.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.15 NZ$53
$35.84 NZ$59.1
-10.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.6 NZ$86.8
$55.6 NZ$91.8
-5.39%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Christchurch
Dunedin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.61 NZ$57.1
$52 NZ$85.7
-33.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.47 NZ$25.51
$6.13 NZ$10.12
152.37%
Cinema Ticket
$10.81 NZ$17.83
$9.74 NZ$16.06
10.99%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Christchurch
Dunedin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$653 NZ$1,077
$577 NZ$952
13.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,249 NZ$15.3K
$12.2K NZ$20.1K
-24.29%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Christchurch
Dunedin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64 NZ$105
$67.1 NZ$111
-4.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 NZ$71.1
$35.49 NZ$58.5
21.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.8 NZ$150
$94.1 NZ$155
-3.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$150 NZ$247
$123 NZ$203
21.87%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Christchurch
Dunedin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,536 NZ$2,534
$879 NZ$1,450
74.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,158 NZ$1,911
$774 NZ$1,277
49.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,059 NZ$3,395
$1,512 NZ$2,493
36.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,488 NZ$2,453
$1,344 NZ$2,217
10.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,194 NZ$6,918
$2,880 NZ$4,751
45.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,361 NZ$5,543
$2,002 NZ$3,303
67.85%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Christchurch
Dunedin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,736 NZ$4,512
$2,565 NZ$4,230
6.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.74
7.07
-4.67%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Christchurch: October 27, 2025

Last update for Dunedin: October 28, 2025

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